Merrill - “It's a Keeper's job to remember.”

Perhaps not wise, if Hawke trust in Merrill's willpower, but anyone always can resist, ofc, if have enough strong. I think it is better to know that how working, than not to know. I always said we should have dialogue options and plus weakness (not only that negligible health loss),  if Hawke are blood mage and use blood magic.

But I just don't understand what are you want to saying with this? That Merrill is morally questionable? Or that you does not approve of the existence of Merrill? Or the romance with her? Or, that not possible to dissuade her to use of blood magic? Or that she live in Kirkwall? Or why Hawke take her anywhere, because she are dangerous? (Mine is rarely take her, because usually takes Anders, Fenris and Varric, but Anders also dangerous and morally questionable)

No, I really dont understand.

Learning it from another blood mage just means you got it from the middle man.

A blood mage who learned from another blood mage, who learned from another blood mage who learned it from a demon.

Yes, and right after that Bethany says "You called something in. Are you insane?" (5:00)

And it was ths most basic form of blood magic.




It is a good comparison, actually. The value of the gift doesn't change whom you're it receiving it from.

Merrill brings Hawke because Audacity is supposed to be trapped in a totem, but she suspects that Audacity may have escaped. It's Merrill's Plan A because, if Audacity is free, the spirit is a serious danger to anyone who comes into contact with Audacity. It's the smart move to make under the circumstances because, unlike Marethari, Merrill actually thought things through and didn't act reckless.

Throughout the entire story, Merrill is the best example of a blood magic who never abuses their abilities to harm others. Despite Kirkwall being a Tevinter Hellmouth (as we know from the Band of Three codex entries), she also never succumbs like others do. Her status during Inquisition is as a person helping the elves who have no one else to protect them and lead them (although it would have made a lot of sense to include her in Inquisition given her story arc with the Eluvian and her status as an actual elven expert on what lore has been discovered and maintained over the centuries).



Merrill made no deal with Audacity; no one claims she did, either. Unlike Connor, Merrill simply spoke to Audacity, and the spirit had no claim on her like the Desire Demon did because of her contract with Connor.

Also, Merrill explicitly says to an aggressive Hawke that she had no intention of releasing Audacity, and even Marethari never claims that Merrill would have released Audacity; she instead claims that Audacity would have escaped through the restored Eluvian (which seems like the kind of thing Audacity would tell Marethari in order to manipulate her into freeing the spirit since Marethari's reason for opposing Merrill in Acts I and II was completely different).



It isn't wise to speak to a trapped spirit for information, with no intention of releasing said spirit?

Considering that WoT reads that mages teach other mages blood magic and there's dialogue indicating that you can learn it without a "demon" entirely, I don't see why you're making that claim.



Except that the origins of blood magic are disputed and both WoT and the narrative address you can learn it from another mages or from sensing the power of your own blood, so that's clearly not the case.



Inferring that she needed to summon a spirit to use blood magic would be in contradiction to how blood magic is explained by the same game (which I already cited), and the specific spirit she learned blood magic from is trapped inside an ancient totem and sundered from the Fade completely (and has been ever since the war between Tevinter and Arlathan over a millennia ago). Merrill also tells Hawke that he (or she) can gather intel from spirits without making any bargains with them, which is exactly what you can do with both the Profane Abomination and Torpor.

Merrill isn't making any deals with spirits; while she's criticized for speaking to Audacity to learn blood magic, absolutely no one ever claims that she made any bargain with Audacity. Even when Merrill opposes the Champion when she defends the Circle of Kirkwall against a pro-Meredith Hawke, she never summons any spirits to aid her (nor does she abuse her blood magic abilities even in these dire circumstances).



I don't see how it is when the comparison makes no sense. Blood magic is a tool, one that can be used for benevolent or malevolent purposes, and that's dependant on the respective blood mage. Grey Warden mages have used blood magic to give them an edge against the darkspawn, as Duncan notes. Merrill uses it to cleanse a shard of the taint and to discern whether or not Keran is possessed or not; she never misuses her abilities for any malevolent purposes, so I don't see why you're so insistent on vilifying her for becoming a blood mage.

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Went for her as well. Well written. Her innocence (social limitations) was revealed when she lived in the city enclave for elves. Unafraid and good char to take on missions.

I'm in the middle of trying to do a complete run. And I picked her as the one to try and romance (awkward party makeup, as she doesn't have much in the way of healing, and I'm a warrior). She says 'um' alot. And sorry alot. Which I think is adorable.

Among my top favorite characters and my favorite love interest in the series so far. And I feel preeeetty much in the minority for thinking so...

I found this image. Not sure who made it, although I've seen a similar "Merrill as Inquisitor" image. But I really like it.



*Sigh* My sweet Merrill.

Asking about what it takes to start romances. Honestly, the one time I romanced Merril was female and I didn't stick with it past the sex scene. It seemed Merril was totally oblivious to my flirts being flirts. Never talked to me as if we could be more than friends. Then shows up sad at my mansion one day.

1. Does it seem like more of a romance where she acknowledges what's happening if Hawke is male?


2. What flirt lines are essential to her showing up in the mansion? Must you use all flirt lines to really beat it into her head that you're interested? or is there 1 or 2 essential ones to get it going? Does a single flirt at any point get it going?

1. No, not anymore than with a female Hawke. Merrill is just oblivious to flirts being flirts rather than being innocent in nature. 
2. You have to flirt with her at least once. I don't believe any specific flirts are mandatory for the romance to start. 

Merrill getting lost at the Conclave, wandering straight into Corypheus' ritual and innocently picking up the Orb of Destruction would be very in-character for her.

I may have to steal this idea for fanfic, because Merrill leading the Inquisition would be hilarious.